Old Rivalries and a New Friend
by Goldenpelt
Summary: When an enemy rises with a lust for revenge against Kit, the Toa Nuva come to the human world, making a new friend in the process. The only difference is that this stranger is meant to defeat their new enemy. Co-written with Goldenrod. Hints of KopakaXOC
1. An Unnatural Incident

Ah, the thrill of posting a new story for my fellow authors to read. I really hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Disclaimer: Bionicle belongs to Lego, as usual. Kit, Tehreisha, and Darcius belong solely to Goldenrod. Jen is mine.

* * *

Another school day had come and gone, as had another week. It was Friday, and everyone was rushing home in his or her own ways, either by parents picking them up, school bus, bike, or walking. Kit was doing the latter, as she always did, with her friend Jennifer, or Jen as she preferred to be called. "You want to come over at my place for a little while?" she asked. "Sorry, Kit, I can't," Jen replied. "My mom wants me home as soon as possible. Something about family-time," she said. Kit nodded in understanding and the two girls conversed about different things until it was time for them to part ways. Jen crossed the street while Kit kept going straight. She had not gone more than a mile and was just enjoying the cool breeze when, all of a sudden, her senses were on the alert. 'Guess dealing with what I dealt with in the Bionicle world can do that to you,' she thought to herself as she began to have the eerie feeling that she was being watched. No, not just watched. Worse . . . followed. Muscles tensing, she tried to be as prepared as possible for anything that might come at her.

* * *

Takanuvas eyes snapped open as he shot up in bed, breathing hard. He calmed down after a while, but he still had that odd feeling that he had had whenever Darcius had been around. 'But he couldn't still be alive, Kit killed him.' He began to think about what he had just seen. He had been in Kits world, seeing it through her eyes, and talking to another girl that looked an awful lot like her except for the fact that she had darker hair and eyes. They had soon split up and he began to get an eerie feeling of being followed. Looking over his/her shoulder, he saw the one face that he hoped to never see again. Darcius. Then, he began to run as others started to appear. He hadn't gotten far when he felt a searing pain and blacked out. That was when he woke up. The others have to know about this, he thought, because this wasn't just a dream, it was a vision. He slowly fell back to sleep. They were having a meeting in the morning and that was he would tell them.

* * *

In her own realm, Tehreisha sighed out of relief and smiled; the Toa of Light received her message. Earlier, sensing something was very wrong, she willed herself to focus and tried to locate the source of her anxiety. When she did, she was just as stunned as Takanuva and Kit had been. "It cant be," she said to herself in disbelief and horror. "Its not possible." But, she couldn't deny it, no matter how much she wanted too; the attacker had the same feeling of power and intent as Darcius, plus he looked a lot like him. Wait, she thought, somethings not right. Focusing harder, she realized that though they felt and looked the same, there was something different about Kits assailant. Try as she might, she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. In hope of not having to leave her post, she sent Takanuva a vision of what was happening, and it worked.

* * *

The Toa of Light raced down the street to the meeting, hoping that he wasn't _too _late. He finally arrived, stopped, and caught his breath. "Why the rush, brother?" Takanuva looked up to meet his sister's worried gaze. "There's something going wrong in Kits world," he answered. "How do you know?" "Last night, I had a dream, only it wasn't a dream, it was a vision." He explained everything he saw, from the girl he was talking to, to the attacker that he caught a glimpse of. All of them gasped when he described the man. "But that can't be right, Kit destroyed him," Tahu said. "I'm afraid it's true, Toa of Fire." All of them whipped around to face Tehreisha. Though she looked calm, all could see the worry in her eyes. "Kit is in grave danger; you must go to her aid immediately!" A thought flashed into Kopaka's mind. "How are we going to get there?" Tehreisha glanced at him. "I will transport you there, but when you get there, you must stay hidden until you find her." She activated a portal and the Toa Nuva stepped in, just wondering how they were going to handle this problem.

* * *

The man glared down at the girl before him while his cohorts grinned and chuckled evilly. There on the ground was the one who killed Darcius and was going to pay very dearly for it. He leaned down and reached out a hand to grab her, intending to hoist her onto his shoulder and take her somewhere where they were sure not to be interrupted. Then, all of a sudden, one of the thugs gasped in surprise as he was turned into a statue of ice. Before anyone in the group could wonder how that was possible on a warm day as this, three more of the men found themselves victim to a spout of water and a powerful gust of wind-both that seemed to come out of nowhere. Noticing where the origin of the attacks seemed to be - a large row of bushes - he jerked his head in that direction, telling his remaining man to check it out. The man looked at him nervously, but when his frown deepened and red eyes glowed dangerously, he steeled himself to investigate. As he approached the shrubbery, he took out his knife from his belt. Slowly, he tried to peer into the leaves of the bush to see if he get an idea of who-or what-was behind there. A second later, a black metallic arm reached out and sucked him in through the undergrowth. The bush rustled as a muffled struggle occurred behind from view. Seeing this, the leader decided he was not going to take any chances, and reached down toward Kit again. Before he could grab her, he found himself repelled by some sort of shield that suddenly enveloped the girl. After that, he found himself blinded by a flash of intense light. Someone had, apparently, come to the girls rescue. Unable to see his enemy and figuring he'd wasted enough time here, he retreated, shimmering out of sight. Just then, Kit regained consciousness. To say the least, she was confused to find the human Darcius look-alike and most of goons gone and one of them an ice statue. Hearing a _psst_ing sound she turned her attention to some bushes next to her. Kopaka's eye and scope were showing through the leaves. When she gasped, the Toa of Ice placed his finger to his lips. Getting the message, she nodded and jerked her head to the iced man. Once the girl was behind him, Kopaka released his elemental hold over the man, returning him to normal. The man looked around confusion, and Kit backhanded him in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. Turning her attention to the bushes, she gestured for the hidden Toa to follow her.

Taking them to Jen's house, where she sometimes went to either check up on the other girl if she wasn't feeling well or to just hang out with her, Kit turned around and looked at the Toa. "Okay, this isn't going to be easy, but I promise you, she won't tell anyone about you guys. Once she makes a promise, she keeps it." Tahu glanced suspiciously towards the door. "Who is she?" Kit sighed and smiled. "You'll find out soon enough." She turned back around and knocked on the door. Moments later, there was the sound of footsteps was heard and the door opened, revealing a girl about Kit's age with golden colored hair and dark blue eyes. "Kit, what are you doing here and . . .who are they?" she asked as she looked over Kit's shoulder at the Toa. Without waiting for an answer, she gestured for them all to come inside and led them downstairs to her room. "Well Kit, aren't you going to introduce me?" "Oh, right." Kit cleared her throat and turned to the Toa. "Guys, this is my friend Jennifer, or as she prefers, Jen. Jen, these guys are the Toa Nuva. This is Tahu, Kopaka, Gali, Pohatu, Lewa, Onua, and Takanuva." Each one nodded as their name was said. Jen bowed her head politely and said, "It's an honor to meet you all." All of a sudden, Jen's eyes snapped to the wound on Kit's arm. "What happened?" she asked as she looked at her friend, who seemed very exhausted. "You looked like you just got bucked of a horse and stomped on." Kit smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Boy, have we got a lot to tell you."

Minutes later, Jen was in the kitchen preparing a little snack for everyone while the Toa and Kit watched some TV. Kit would've been in the kitchen helping, but upon Jen and Gali insisted that she take it easy after what almost happened. Both girls couldn't hold back a shared giggle as the Toa moved closer to the TV screen, fascinated, to the point where their eyes were practically glued to it. Though she didn't mean to, Jen couldn't help but keep glancing back at Kit, who sat on the couch and was pretty much the only real friend shed ever had in her whole life. Ever since she was little, Jen was treated different from the other kids, as if they thought she was different in some way that she couldn't understand. It was because of this difference that other kids either stayed away from her or teased her. And so, she was left out, and became a bit of a loner. It wouldn't be until years later that she found out the truth of what she was. Of course, things didn't get much better in high school where the bullying and teasing were worse then before. Despite that, Jen took it all in stride and ignored them-or at least she did until she was in the mood to strike back and had the opportunity to do so. Then again, it was the bullying at school that brought her and Kit together. One day, some boys were picking on her and she had nowhere to run. That was when Kit stepped in and told them to leave her alone. One boy in particular decided he was tough stuff and tried to shove her away, only to end up in a painful wrist lock. Seeing the look in her eye, the boys ran for it. Jen remembered feeling amazed; no one had ever bothered coming to her defense before. After a few weeks of just making the effort to hang out with Kit and talk to her, Jen found that she was actually starting to like the girl and feel comfortable around her. The two had been good friends ever since. Suddenly, the memory of what Kit told her happened earlier with the weird man intruded into her mind and a shiver of fear ran up and down her spine. 'If Kits description of him and her injury are any indication, I sure hope I don't have to meet him any time soon,' she thought to herself.

* * *

Okay, kind of a weird cliffhanger, but give me a break. Again, Kit, Tehreisha, and Darcius belong to Goldenrod and I do not own Bionicle. R&R please.


	2. Battles and Injuries

All right, second chapter, way longer than the first. Sorry about the jumping from place to place, but hey, thats how these kind of stories with me roll.

Disclaimer: I dont need to repeat the Bionicle part, but again Kit, Darcius, and Tehreisha are Goldenrods and Goldenrods alone. I only own Jen and Hephasto

* * *

Later, when the sun had set and night had set in, Jen was making her way to the stairs that led to her room when she noticed the stark white figure of Kopaka standing on the porch, looking out towards the lights that owners of small businesses had turned on for the night. "Kopaka," she greeted as she opened the door and let herself outside. He turned around and nodded to her before turning back to the lights. "Are you alright?" she asked as she came to stand next to him. The Toa of Ice looked at her before replying. "I just needed to be outside for a while." Jen carefully placed her hand on his shoulder. He flinched, but otherwise didn't protest. "You're thinking about what happened today, aren't you?" He nodded only once, but that was an answer enough for her. She chuckled softly. Kopaka turned his head and glanced at her. She noticed and elaborated. "Its funny in a way. Kit's the only friend I ever knew, and now I have seven new ones." "Why was Kit your only friend?" Jen told the story of her past, from how she was left out and became a loner, to how Kit defended her from the boys and became her friend. To be honest, when she was finished, Kopaka knew he must have looked shocked. He had thought that all humans were treated equally, but hearing Jen had proved him wrong. He watched as the girl turned her head to the lights and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "Let's head in. We've got a big day tomorrow to get you guys used this world." Kopaka nodded and they turned to go inside for the night. Little did they know a pair of angry, blood red eyes was watching them.

The hours passed and all was silent except for the occasional chirping of crickets. All was silent in Jen's house for everyone was asleep. Luckily, Kit's parents were away for the weekend and Jen's parents weren't due back until late the next night, which meant they didn't have to worry about introducing the Toa to more people than Kit was comfortable with. Unfortunately, just outside of Jen's house, the man stood before the porch. He approached the door, fully intending to finish what he started, no matter what. This time, he was not holding back; if anybody was foolish enough to get in his way, they wouldn't live to regret it. Extending his finger to the lock, a small tendril of shadow snaked its way inside and worked the locking mechanism until a click sounded, indicating that the door was unlocked.

Kopaka was caught in the hands of an odd dream. He was standing next to Jennifer on a city battlefield, flames blazing in front of them. The girl reached her hands toward the inferno, and, as if obeying a silent command, the fire began to extend towards her, forming a ball just a few feet from her. Then she clenched a fist and the ball of fire became a floating orb of ice. Raising a hand toward the heavens, a streak lightning shot down and shattered the orb in to a thousand pieces. She fell to her knees, utterly exhausted, and Kopaka helped her to her feet. He held her close, arms wrapped protectively around her, when she suddenly pushed him to the ground and gave a small cry of pain. Kopaka managed to clear his head enough to see Jen fall to the ground, a dagger in her stomach. He rushed to her side and lifted her up, begging her to hold on. She lifted a hand and gently placed it against his face and in a weak voice, whispered, "Kopaka," before she lost consciousness. Her voice echoed before he woke up, with a slightly warmer hand against his shoulder, shaking him and an urgent voice calling his name. He looked up to see Jen's blue eyes, laced with worry. "Jen, what is it?" he asked as he sat up. "Wake the others. We have to get out of here pronto." Her whisper was that of someone that would have been considered deadly. "Why?" Her eyes narrowed as she glanced toward the stairs. "We have unwanted party guests."

Within minutes, the remaining Toa were awakened and alerted to the situation. "How do we get out?" asked Gali. "We'll go through the garage, into the backyard, and out through the fence to the front," instructed Kit, and the Toa, hands ready to grab their tools at a moments notice, followed the girls, careful not to make a sound. Though Jen, who was in the lead, had a demeanor of almost complete calm, she was shaking like crazy on the inside; she had never felt so scared in her life for her senses gave her a pretty good guess as to who was in the house. It seemed to take them forever to reach the garage door and it took all of her willpower to keep her hand from shaking as she reached for the doorknob. 'C'mon, move,' she mentally commanded as she forced her hand to close around the handle. She had just begun to try to quietly turn it when a deep, sinister-sounding voice behind the group said, "Going somewhere?" Hearts stopping, they all turned around to see the Darcius-look-alike standing at the end of the hallway, with a wicked smile and his eyes glowing red in the darkness of the house.

Jens eyes widened with fear; she had never seen anyone so evil before. The man scanned the group and as they locked on Kit, a growl sounded from his throat. "It's time to finish what I started, beginning with getting rid of you," he said as he pointed his finger toward Kit. Jen instinctively placed herself in front of her friend. She turned and whispered to the others, "Get out of here. I'll catch up with you later." Although they wanted to protest, they knew that they had to at least get out of the area. They turned and passed through the door while Jen remained behind. "You want to kill them, you have to get through me." The man threw a dagger, but Jen surprised him by turning the knife into nothing but a few shattered pieces of ice. He watched as the girl made a hand motion and, before he could react, a streak of lightning shot forward. He managed to dodge the attack, but one thing was obvious. This female had power. He turned back to girl just as she began speaking. "Just one question. Who are you?" she asked. "Hephasto," was his answer. Jen shrugged, then unleashed her powers of fire at full force.

Inside the garage, just as she was about to follow the Toa outside, Kit heard and felt fire. Spinning back around, she saw the elements telltale glow. "Jen!" she cried, and ran back towards the door. "Kit, come back!" Gali called after her, but she was already through the door. As she ran back into the house, Kit thought to herself, 'I swear, who-ever-you-are, if there's so much as one hair missing from Jens head-,' only to have it cut off by the sight before her. Jen had her hands out in front of her, which were shooting out flames like they were flamethrowers. As for the stranger, who she thought was the one responsible for the fire, he had a shield of shadow energy surrounding him. Judging from the expression on his face, it looked like he was really trying to keep the flames at bay. "Whoa," Kit said, amazed. However, just then, the Hephasto decided he'd had enough and expanded his shield, knocking back Jen. Seeing the man advance toward her friend, Kit determined it was time to act. Hephasto fired some shadow energy at Jen, but Kit hopped over her and summoned her own shield to block it. Before he could react, Kit performed her spirit burst move. The technique hit its target dead-on and Hephasto crashed to the floor of the opposite room. He groaned, then collapsed, unconscious. Meanwhile, Jen just stared in shock at Kit, who stood before her. "K-Kit, h-how did you . . .?" she stammered. Kit, though, turned to face her, smiled, and helped her to her feet. "C'mon, lets get to my place," she said, and ran out of the house and met up with the Toa, who were anxiously waiting outside.

As the Toa and the girls walked away from the burning home, Kopaka noticed that Jen kept looking over her shoulder at had once been her house. A single tear slid down the girl's cheek as she turned around and bowed her head. The Ice Toa knew something was wrong. He slowed his pace till he was walking next to her. She didn't give any sign that she had noticed him. He slowly put his arm around her shoulders as more tears began to fall from her eyes, yet there was no sobbing. She reached up and touched his hand lightly before looking up at him with molten blue eyes that seemed to pleading to him. Kopaka stopped, pulled Jen into his arms, and just let her cry into his chest for a while. He glanced back at burning walls and sighed. Slowly, he removed Jennifer from his chest and looked at her. The girl was slightly burned, but no major injuries, yet there was something about her that didn't seem quite right. He shook his head, wondering how ideas like that got into his head. "Kopaka, Jen, you guys coming?" Kit voice called. She came back to them and noticed Jens subdued state. "Is she okay?" Kopaka nodded, but, as usual, didn't say anything. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something that Kit, nor Jen, weren't telling them.

Though the way to Kit's house had its obstacles - avoiding well lit areas and getting away from a house as quickly as possible whenever a dog was alerted to their presence, to name a few - the darkness of night offer them some cover, thus making it easier for the girls and Toa to move about. When they finally made it to Kits home, Jen immediately got on the phone to call 911 about the fire at her house and parents to tell them what happened while Kit showed the Toa where all they could sleep. Once Jen was done assuring her parents, specifically her mom, that she was fine and safe, everyone let out tired sighs; they were all exhausted. Soon after, the Toa were all fast asleep downstairs while the girls slept in Kit's room. Unlike the Toa, though, the girls were still a little alert. Unable to stand the silence between them any longer, Kit said, "So, not mind telling me what that was all about back . . . there?" Jen sighed in response; "Guess there's no point hiding it when you saw it with your own two eyes." A pause followed, and Kit waited patiently for her friend to explain. "Kit," Jen spoke, "I'm a sorceress." Kits eyes widened in surprise, "A-A sorceress. You've got to be kidding." Jen shook her head. "I have the power to control three elements: ice, electricity, and, as you saw back at my house, fire. That's why everybody was scared of me; I guess, even though they never got their finger on it, they somehow thought that there was something weird about me, something that they didn't understand. I didn't learn about me being a sorceress until I was ten years old when my grandma told me. Apparently, the 'Sorceress Gene' has been in my family for generations, passed on from grandmother to granddaughter." Jen stopped there, then turned to face Kit, expecting to see either a scowl or a frown of disappointment. To her amazement, Kit's expression was one of intrigue and understanding. "You're not mad, or anything?" Kit simply lifted her right hand, palm up, and summoned an energy ball. Jen just stared wide-eyed, astonished; she had been so upset over what happened at her house, shed totally forgotten about what she saw Kit do. Kit, on her part just smiled, "Let's just say I understand," and told Jen the rest of her and the Toa's story, about her being a Protector and not telling her family.

The next morning dawned bright and clear. Everyone had slept well, as if the events of the previous night had never happened. Managing to find some cloaks with hoods that fit the Toa, they all set out to the human world. Nothing was really going on, well, nothing interesting. Everything was going great, until when they walked past a dark alley, shivers began to run up Jen's spine. There was something down that passageway. Seeing the others far ahead of her, she decided to investigate. The alley turned out to be longer than it had looked and the only light was from the space between the buildings. At one point, a black cat crossed her path so suddenly, that she nearly lost her balance jumping back. 'Okay,' she thought, 'just stay calm Jennifer, its not like there's a pack of alley dogs around here. Stay calm, girl, just stay calm.' Making sure that her footsteps weren't echoing much, she continued on her way. When she reached the end of the passage, she glanced around. A few dumpsters, a cat nursing her young, and that was about it. She was just about to turn around when a cold voice spoke from behind. "Well, well, what do we have here? A teenager all alone in an alley that happens to be the one where we rule." Slowly turning around, hoping that it wasn't Hephasto, she came face to face with three punks that had a gleaming look in their eyes. She began to shake with fear, her heart racing wildly. The leader came so close to her that she could smell the mint that he had chewing and lifted up her shaking face. "I've got to admit, you're quite a beauty for your age. How 'bout a kiss? You look like you haven't had one yet." He began to lean in and she did the only thing she could think of. She screamed.

"That was Jen!" Kit cried as she whirled around. With the Toa right behind her, she stopped at the alleyway entrance, her shoes screeching on the concrete. Down the alley, they found Jen surrounded by three guys who didn't look friendly and, while Kit went to get help, the Toa charged. Needless to say, the Toa made short work of two of the men. "Hold it!" a voice caught their attention. The Toa turned their attention to the source and gasped. It was the leader with his left arm around Jen's neck and his right hand holding a gun at her temple. "Back off . . . whoever y'all are, or this kids dead," he warned as he inched back, dragging Jen with him. While the Toa glared at him, wanting to help their new friend, but unwilling to try anything lest she get hurt, Jen had the whole thing covered. She curled her fingers, making tiny bolts dance on her palm. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she firmly placed her hand on the mans thigh. The man screamed in agony as 50 volts of electricity surged through his body, causing him to let go of Jen, drop his gun, and fall to the ground, writhing and convulsing. "Jen, are you alright?" Gali asked. "Yeah, I'm fine," Jen assured her. Hearing running footsteps, the group found Kit coming toward them. Suddenly, she gasped as her eyes widened as she shouted, "Look out!," and the click of a gun was heard. It was the gang leader, who had somehow fought the effects of Jen's tazer attack long enough to grab and prep his gun. He aimed it at the young sorceress with murder in his eyes. However, before he could fire, Kopaka snatched the weapon out of his hand, and, to the man's shock, crushed it like it was made of tinfoil. Then, the Ice Toa picked him up by the front of his shirt and held him in the air. If the man wasn't freaked out before, he most certainly was now for, even though he couldn't see the hooded person's face, he could see a pair of cold, angry eyes - and they weren't human. The man was too scared to form words. "Kopaka," the Toa of Ice heard Kit say as he felt her hand on his shoulder and looked down at the girl. "Let the police handle these guys," she said as the wail of approaching sirens was heard. "They're on their way; they'll be here any minute." "Which means you guys need to get out of sight," said Jen. Kopaka sighed, let the man drop to the ground, and the Toa took cover further down the alley. No sooner than the Toa disappeared, the police arrived.

As they walked in the direction of the local park, Jen managed to catch up with Kopaka. "Hey, thanks for the save back there. It was really brave." Kopaka turned in the girl's direction. He tried to tell her that he was just doing his job, but his breath caught in his throat. There was a small blush on Jen's cheeks and a small smile on her lips. She looked up at him with gratefulness dancing in her eyes. He gave her a smile in return, just as they reached the park. To be honest, Kopaka had never seen anything quite as beautiful as this. It the midst of the buildings, cars, and people, there was a place filled with nature. The cherry trees were in full bloom, covered with tiny, light pink blossoms, as were the rose bushes, which were bursting with red, hot pink, and white. The team decided to split up and go separate ways, then meet up in a couple of hours. Jen went with Kopaka and they walked down a path lined with rose bushes, taken in by their beautiful colors. After about a minute or two, they sat down on a bench, which was arched over by twin cherry trees. They had only been there a short time when there was a sound of someone crying. They both got up and jogged over to the sound. Sitting on a bench just down the path was a little red haired girl with light green eyes. Tears were streaming down her face. Jen moved forward and sat down on the bench with the girl. "You okay?" she asked. The girl closed her eyes and continued to cry, but managed to speak. "Nobody cares about me. They think that I'm a kind of freak who doesn't belong here. But you wouldn't understand. You're one of the big kids who has lots of friends." Jen wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders and replied, "Listen, I know just how you feel." The kid looked up at her with her big green eyes. Jen elaborated. "When I was your age, I was treated the exact same way as you are. Trust me, I was your regular fish out of water with all the trouble I had fitting in. All that continued all the way up into high school. But thankfully, all that teasing gave me my first friend that I ever had. And through her I met that gentleman over there and his friends." Kopaka inwardly beamed at the fact that she had called him a gentleman. In the human standards that he had been told, being called a gentleman was a real compliment. He sat down on the little girl's other side and looked down at her. "Look, everyone goes through the stage of not fitting in. But for now you just stay strong and you give those other kids a taste of their own medicine. . . so long as it doesn't include any hitting. You just go and play now, but try to stay away from those other kids, okay?" "Okay. Thank you ma'am, sir." The girl got off the bench and turned to leave, but then turned back around. "Oh, by the way, my names Krissy." With that she turned and ran to the playground to join the other kids. The two looked after her for a moment before getting up and walking away. They hadn't gotten far when Jen felt something wrap around her ankle. She looked down, only to find that it was a tendril of shadow energy. Others wrapped around her other ankle, as well as her wrists, waist, and even her neck. There was no way she could use her powers to escape without hurting herself. "Kopaka! Kopaka, help!" Before she could call to him further, one tendril snaked around her mouth, making it impossible for her to speak. Luckily, though, Kopaka had heard her. He turned back around and felt his heart stop. The tendrils that had her captured were dragging her backwards toward what looked like portal. He went into action, pulled out his sword, and sliced away tendrils that tried to stop him from getting to her. But he was too late. The tendrils were too strong for him to handle alone and he had only managed to set one of her arms free. He instinctively reached out for her, as she did to him. Their fingertips only brushed before she was dragged into the portal with a muffled scream. She was gone.

At another part of the park, Pohatu was watching a group of kids playing a game that reminded him a lot of how kohlii used to be played. They were in two separate teams and it looked like the object of the game was to kick a black and white patched ball into each others goal. He took only a moment to observe some of the younger children playing on something he could only describe as an obstacle course when he heard a voice shout, "Heads up!" He turned to find a ball heading right for him. Gaming skills kicking in, he expertly kicked the ball to the other end of the field - right into the goal. "Radical!" a boy exclaimed, wide-eyed. The Toa of Stone smiled and gave them a thumb-up. "Hey, mister," another boy called, "want to play?" Pohatu was about to accept the offer when he saw Kopaka beckoning him. "Thanks, but I have to go," he replied, and he ran up to his friend. "What is it?" he asked. "It's Jen," Kopaka answered. "She's been kidnapped."

"By who?"

"Hephasto."

"We need to get the others."

Kopaka nodded in agreement, and the two Toa ran to search the park for their friends. 'Hang on, kid,' the Ice Toa silently prayed as if the girl could hear him.

* * *

Jen moaned as she struggled to sit up. As she did, a sharp pain ran up her side, most likely from a bruised or cracked rib. She shook her head to clear the cobwebs and glanced around; which was hard to do since there wasn't anything to look at. Suddenly, the memory of her abduction hit her hard, and she sat up quickly, only to wish she hadn't done so when the pain caused her to lose her breath. She coughed as she tried to catch her breath again, when an all too familiar voice spoke from the darkness. "Well, not exactly what I was hoping for, but it should be enough to bring the Toa and their little friend here." She jumped to her feet. "Hephasto," she called out, "Show yourself!" As he chuckled, it sounded as if he were moving away. Focusing on the sound, she sent a row of charged bolts out from her body and smiled at the hiss of pain from the contact. He stepped forward and glared at the young sorceress. "You'll pay for that you little witch." Jen scoffed. "Honestly, don't you people know that there is a difference between sorceresses and witches?" Hephasto's only answer was a blast of shadow. She managed to dodge it, but barely. More importantly, in the state that she was in, she knew she wouldn't last very long. Knowing what she had to do, Jen sent a telepathic message to Kopaka. 'Kopaka, if you can hear me, I need you. I'm injured and fighting Hephasto, but I don't know how long I can last. Please, come as quickly as you can.' She dodged another blast of shadow and fired row upon row of ice bolts. Hoping that the others would come soon, she had to hold him off as long as she could. Right now, it was a fight to the death.

* * *

Back at the park, Kit and the Toa were trying to work out a plan on how to rescue Jen. Unfortunately, their discussions didn't lead to any results; how could they help Jen if they had absolutely no idea of where Hephasto took her? For moment, Kopaka was lost in his thoughts until he heard a familiar voice in his mind call his name, causing him to start. A second later, he realized it was Jen's voice. 'Jen, where are you?' he asked in his mind. Instead of receiving a message, the image of a dark place and Hephasto filled his minds eye. Though he couldn't really see very well, he noticed some barrels and all kinds of machinery. The place appeared to be indoors and looked like it hadn't been inhabited in years. Then, a window showing a street sign appeared in his vision. "Kopaka?" a voice said, snapping him out of his trance. It was Gali. "Brother, are you alright?" "Yes," the Ice Toa nodded. "I think I received a telepathic message from Jen." "What did you see?" asked Tahu.

"She's fighting Hephasto in some kind of abandoned building."

"Where?" Onua inquired.

"I don't know; it was filled barrels and machines that looked like they hadn't been touched in a long while."

"That kind of sounds like a warehouse, but there hundreds of those around here," Kit thought aloud. "Did she happen to give you any clues whatsoever?"

After thinking about it, Kopaka remembered the sign seen through the window. "But, I couldnt read it." Handing him a stick, Kit asked, "Do you remember the letters?" Nodding again, Kopaka scribbled the letters in the dirt. When he was done, Kit read it, "Sunset Ave. That's downtown, and there's a small warehouse district there!" "Lets go!" said Tahu, and, with a little help from Pohatu's Kakama, they headed toward downtown.

* * *

Jen gave a cry of pain as a blast of shadow hit her ankle, cracking the bones and sending waves of pain up her leg. She fell to the ground clutching it. She looked up to see Hephasto approaching her, and she managed to stand up, despite the protests that shot up her leg. She was just preparing one of her electricity attacks when she heard a voice calling her name. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw the others coming toward her, but while she was distracted, Hephasto gave her another blast of shadow that sent her to the ground, hissing in pain. This time when she looked up, she saw a familiar figure standing over her, sword drawn. It was Kopaka. As the others and Kit joined him, Hephasto began to back off before disappearing completely. Kopaka knelt down by her side and helped her to her feet. He supported her as she limped, wincing at the pain in her ankle. She looked up at him, and didn't need to say anything. Her eyes showed her thanks. Slowly, they walked out of the warehouse, and turned in the direction of Kits home.

However, just mere blocks away from the warehouse, Hephasto shimmered into their path and fired bolts of shadow energy, blowing the group back. Locating his target, he walked towards Kit, who, along with everyone else, groaned as she tried to get up. The girl grunted as he grabbed her by the front of her shirt and held her up in midair. "Now, child, you're mine," he said. "What the heck do you want with me?" Kit asked as she struggled to remove his hand.

"You're the one who killed Darcius, and I'm here to be his avenger."

"Darcius? What's he got to do with you?"

Hephasto brought Kit in close, his eyes intense with hate and starting to glow, their noses just centimeters apart from each other, and replied, "I'm his descendant." Kit's response was one of shock; of course, it all made sense know. Why didn't she guess it sooner? That would explain why he looked so similar to Darcius. That was when she noticed the dagger above her head. "Farewell, Kit Walsh," said Hephasto, and he prepared to plunge the blade into her chest when a lightning bolt shot it out of his hand. With Hephasto distracted, Kit released twin energy balls at his chest. Hephasto reflexively released her as he screamed and attempted to cover his torso. Kit, meanwhile, rejoined the group, standing beside Jen. "Thanks," she said. "Just returning the favor," Jen answered, then noticed something with Hephasto. He removed his hands from his body, revealing the burned away clothing. But, that wasn't what caught the groups attention and stopped their breath. Right where Kit attacked him, missing patches of skin revealed what, at first, looked like blood and muscle, but was actually dark red, pulsating energy. "What in the world is that?" asked a slightly shaken Jen. "What is he?" "Big trouble," answered Kit.

Kopaka glanced over at Jen. She was standing shakily, trying to keep the weight off her injured ankle, but ready to fight with all that she had. Everything happened at once. Hephasto fired a wave of shadow, Jen summoning a meteor to meet it. The explosion from the collision echoed throughout the empty street. A wall of fire stood between them and the only way out. The Ice Toa remembered his dream; every event was exactly the same. The wall of flames, the girl using her powers, everything. But this time, one thing happened differently. Through the shards of ice came a dagger. Jen saw it, but not in time. It struck, burying itself into her up to the hilt. She staggered back, either in shock or in pain, he couldn't tell. He moved forward to catch her as she fell limply.

"No," he whispered. "No, please no. Jen? Jen, please speak to me." Kopaka gently pulled out the blade, crimson following after it. Mata Nui, there was so much of it. She reached up and touched his mask, eyes slightly clouded. He turned to the others. "We have to get her help. If we don't she's not going to make it." They nodded, knowing full well that her life was on the line. He lifted her up and, following Kit's lead, took off down the street. They all prayed that the young sorceress would survive.

Kit's thoughts raced a hundred times faster than her feet were moving. Even with Pohatu sharing the power of his Kanohi Kakama, she still felt she was moving in slow motion. They had to get Jen to somewhere where she could get help and the first place that came to her mind was the hospital. However, that would mean exposing the Toa to more people, and who knew what would happen then? How would they explain why Jen had a knife in her abdomen, especially to her parents? Just then, Kit felt very uncomfortable with going to the hospital, but what other choice did they have? Where else could they go that would, hopefully, save Jen's life and not ask too many questions about the Toa or of what happened? This, unfortunately, turned into one of those times where Kit didn't know what to do.

It wasn't long before they were all sitting in the emergency waiting room, waiting for word on Jen's condition. Her breathing had been shallow when they brought her in, so shallow that you would have had to look really hard to see her chest rise and fall. Kopaka couldn't help but look around at the others. All of them looked like they were ready to go out on the streets, find Hephasto, and make him pay for the sorceress's injury, but he could plainly see the fear in their eyes. Fear for the fact that they would be told that she wouldn't make it. He bowed his head and rested it in his hands. All of this, everything right down to her weak state, was his fault. He should have told her to get out of the way from the moment the bolt struck the ice. His head snapped up, however, as footsteps echoed down the hall and one of the doctors stepped into the room.

"How is she?" Kit asked, taking the words right out his mouth. The doctor sighed and looked very solemn.

"We've done all we can for her," he answered. "It's up to her now whether she lives or not. We would like one of you to stay overnight, in case anything should happen."

"I'll stay," Kopaka said, before anyone even had a chance. The others looked at him astonished, as if he had grown two heads. Their eyes seemed to ask, 'Are you sure?' He nodded his head and the male offered to take him to her room. Following him, he tried to swallow he lump in his throat, but it was still there as he opened the door to a recovery room. Jen lay on the bed, her eyes closed and her face pale. As the Ice Toa settled down into a chair, he took her hand and held it in his own. 'Jen,' he thought, 'I'm so sorry. You're here because of me. Please, don't die.' The sorceress looked so fragile now, compared to the same girl he saw fight. How would he face her parents, or the others, if she did die? He resolved that he would not leave her side until she woke up and told him that she would be all right. Kopaka sighed and braced himself for a long night.

* * *

So, what did you guys think? And Hephastos true form can be described as somewhat like Helphasto from _Diablo II_, just bigger, red, and a tad bit uglier. Read and review, and I will give you a brownie point.


	3. The Beginning of the End

Okay, okay. I know you all probably think that my computer crashed and I lost all the files of my stores, so I had to write it all from scratch. Nope, even worse than that. I started school again, so now I barely have time for the computer any more. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: At the beginning of the story. Don't bother me, I'm writing.

* * *

Nearby, in the same block as the hospital, Hephasto stalked towards the building with an expression and air of grim determination. He could sense Kit's presence was close and was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. 'This time, no one and nothing, not even those Toa Nuva and that meddlesome girl, will stop me,' he thought to himself. 'Darcius will be avenged tonight, and if anyone gets in my way . . .' A rat scurried across his path, and Hephasto fired an energy attack, incinerating it within milliseconds. Not a trace was left of the rodent except a scorch mark on the pavement. The unseen message was clear—Hephasto didn't care who or what he had to encounter so long as he had Kit struggling hopelessly in his grasp for her last few moments of life. He reached the hospital and an anticipating sneer crept up his lips; it wouldn't be long now.

* * *

Kopaka had fallen asleep in the chair and found himself in a strange place. It was a small town, a fortress of sorts. 'This place reminds me of Ta-Koro,' he thought. The sound of whispering voices caught his attention. Looking around the corner of a building he saw a circle of seven figures around a campfire and leaned in to hear what they were saying.

"How could this have happened?" one asked, his white hair and pale skin sent shivers up the Ice Toa's spine. "The only one that can truly defeat this demon is injured."

"It's not all that bad, Simon," said another, her hair as black as the night sky and voice soft. Another black-haired female rose to her feet.

"Not that bad, Necroli? Not that bad? It isn't your fifth-great granddaughter lying on that bed dying." Even as she said it, Kopaka's breath caught in his throat. His suspicions had been confirmed. The girl was going to leave. Moreover, her ancestor knew about it, so now he would be haunted.

"Alice is right," whispered another, his voice soft and light as his eyes and armor. "And things are about to get worse. I sensed his presence. He's making for the girl's first friend. He wants to kill her." 'Kit!' Kopaka thought, which snapped him awake. Looking at Jen one last time, he threw his cloak hood up and ran for the waiting room. 'I've got to warn her.'

* * *

In the waiting room, Kit was sound asleep across three armless chairs, a magazine on the floor and one hand dangling over the edge. Lewa and Takanuva were hanging out in the hallway, unable to sit still. Pohatu and Gali were also asleep while Onua and Tahu remained awake, the Toa of Earth checking out another magazine. Upon hearing some movement, the Fire Toa stole a glance at the girl. Earlier, she was just sleeping soundly, now she seemed a little agitated. Tahu cocked an eyebrow, wondering if Kit could be reacting to something. At first, he thought it was probably just a nightmare, but what if it was something more? He was just about to get up and ask when Kopaka suddenly burst into the room. Ignoring the surprised stares from the others, he knelt by Kit and shook her, "Kit, wake up." The girl groaned as she slowly stirred and Kopaka got her into a sitting position. "Wha-what's happened?" she asked sleepily as she rubbed her eyes. "That's what we'd like to know," said Tahu. The Ice Toa didn't waste a single moment telling the group about the 'dream' he had of Jen's ancestor's. "Are you sure they said he was coming?" Gali asked when he concluded with the man's announcement of Hephasto's approach. Kopaka's reply was a firm nod. Kit, then, got on her feet and headed for the door. "Where are you going?" Takanuva asked. "To finish this once and for all," answered Kit. "If Hephasto wants me, he's going to get me." "We're coming with you," Tahu said, but Kit declined. "It's me he wants, this is between him and me," she declared. "We're not letting you face that monster alone, Kit," said Gali. "You guys let me face Darcius all by myself. I think I can handle his 'descendant'," Kit replied. Tahu was about to argue some more when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Takanuva, his eyes telling him that there was no use arguing; Kit's mind was made up and, once that happened, there was no changing it. Kit smiled a thank you to the Toa of Light and left the room. Pohatu sighed, "I really don't like this. That guy's dead-set on killing her." "But, you've got to understand why she wouldn't let us come with her," said Onua in an effort to comfort his brother Toa. "Not only does she feel responsible since Hephasto's after her, but she also doesn't want to anything happening to us after what happened to Jen." However, the Earth Toa found himself wishing he himself believed what he just said.

* * *

Andrew, the one that had sensed Hephasto, ducked as a streak of lightning flew over his head. Alice had gone into a rampage. The young ice spirit had overheard them and warned the girl. And the young sorceress being unconscious and dying didn't make the situation any better. "You idiot!" she yelled as another barrage of bolts shot from her body, causing him to bring up his shield. "You can sense a demon, but not a Toa? What kind of paladin are you?" Before he could answer, a hand appeared on the ancestor's shoulder. "Calm down, Alice," said Sasha, a young amazon that had never been able to see her children grow up. "We'll find a way to set things right." "The only way we're going to do that," Simon said, walking up from a crypt where he did most of his studying, "is by actually interfering with the battle, but we can't do that." "Sometimes you have to bend the rules," Alice growled, trying to hold back her anger, shaking off Sasha's hand. "I will not stand by and watch my descendant's oldest friend get killed." Picking up her staff, a uniquely carved shaft with a violet gem at the head, she headed off to the stairs that would lead her to the mortal world. The other six sighed and followed, though they knew they would get a tongue lashing later.

* * *

Hephasto was now at the front entrance of the hospital, still hidden in the shadows. He stalked closer to the door, in his true form since he no longer wished to disguise himself, eager to have revenge. "Where do you think you're going?" a voice behind him asked in a demanding tone. "I'm right behind you." He turned around to find his target, Kit. "I must admit, I'm a little impressed," Hephasto reluctantly confessed. "Either I'm slacking, or you're better at sneaking than I thought." "Let's just say you're not the only one who can get around without being seen if you don't want to be," Kit retorted. "Let's get this over with; I didn't come here to chit-chat."

"My thoughts exactly."

"On one condition, though."

"What?"

"Let's move this somewhere else. I want my friends to be left out of this."

There was a pause that made Kit very edgy. Was he going to refuse and insist that the hospital be their battleground? "Very well," he nodded, and a purple mist started to envelop them. "I hope you said your good-byes to your friends and family, child. Before this night is over, you will never be seeing them again." "Ever heard of not counting your chickens before they're hatched, freakazoid?" the girl asked, earning herself an annoyed growl from Hephasto, which she ignored. The mist obscured him from her vision and remained for a minute. When it finally cleared away she found herself on the top of an open hill. She gazed around, but nothing seemed familiar. Spotting Hephasto, she asked, "Why here?" He simply pointed down. She looked and her eyes involuntarily widened a bit. At the base of the hillside was a cemetery that she'd seen a few times passing through this part of town; she now knew where they were. "I figured a place of death was as good as any place for your end," Hephasto commented, and he fired a streak of black energy. Kit, ready, dodged and let loose twin energy balls. Hephasto avoided one, but his shoulder got grazed by the other. He seemed surprised by the attack. "Did you honestly think I was just going to give up without a fight?" Kit asked. Hephasto roared in anger, and the fight was on.

* * *

Alice's head perked up at the sound of a roar, a roar of fury. She growled lightly, electricity beginning to spark around her fingers. "Of all places, why here?" Simon asked. "I might be able to raise the dead, but this place gives me chills." "Simon," hissed Necroli, "why do you always have to be such a pessimist?" "Shut up, assassin." "Both of you shut up." Alice was getting really annoyed with the two of them. And the danger that her granddaughter's friend was in was not making her feel any better. She froze at the sounds of a battle, but began picking up her pace. At the top of a hill, she saw the girl and the demon dueling it out in a fight to the death. "So what's the plan?" asked Andrew, still keeping a safe distance from the sorceress. "Protect the girl and get her to safety," she answered, before charging, staff drawn and ready for battle.

Kit thudded to the ground hard after shielding herself from an attack. Stunned, she shook her head, and gasped when she saw Hephasto moving in for the kill. Thinking quickly, she rolled to the side, forming her hand into a gun shape as she crouched next to him. She was about to fire a sure shot right into his side, but Hephasto swiped at her hand, making her aim go high as her attack discharged. Before she could recover, he backslapped her, sending her skidding on the ground again. Groaning as she fought to get back up, she wiped the dirt off her face along with a little blood. Suddenly, she was pinned to the ground by Hephasto's foot. "I'm a little disappointed," he said. "I thought you would be more of a challenge, considering you killed Darcius." "I'm just getting warmed-up, is all," said Kit, and, faster than Hephasto could blink, she threw some dirt into his eyes. Hephasto roared in pain as he clutched and rubbed his stinging eyes. Kit then followed up her crescent barrage attack, sending him back a few yards. Now really mad and eyes cleared out, Hephasto unleashed a stream of bolts, which caught Kit dead on. After unleashing a blood-curdling scream, Kit collapsed; boy, that stung. Knowing he was coming for her, she forced herself to move, but her body hurt like crazy, reminding her of when Darcius used to zap her with those things. Just when Hephasto was almost within reaching range, he was zapped away by a lightning bolt that appeared out of the blue. Looking towards the source, she saw a group of seven people in armor coming at them. Five of them put themselves between her and Hephasto while two others, a man and woman, helped her up. "Who are you people?" she asked. "My name's Necroli, and that's Andrew," the woman answered. Kit recognized those names; these were Jen's ancestors that Kopaka told her about. "Come, we need to get you out of here," said Andrew with urgency in his voice, but, her strength suddenly coming back, Kit shrugged them off. "I'm not leaving, not until this is finished. It's me he came for, I got Jen involved in this, and I'm going to see this through."

* * *

Jen moaned as she opened her eyes. She found herself staring at a granite ceiling that was etched with many different symbols. 'Where am I?' she thought as a young woman entered the room. The sorceress was able to recognize her from the sketches in the family book. "Jamella?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Hush, young one," whispered Jamella, her voice carrying a thick French accent. "You are still very weak." "Jamella, I'm not dead am I?" "No, child. You are merely resting before you go back," the spirit answered, placing a damp cloth on the girl's forehead. "Your friends need you now more than ever. Alice and the others have already gone to help the young female." "Kit? Kit's in trouble? I've got to help her," Jen said as she struggled to get out of the bed and stand on her feet. Jamella tried to usher her back down, tried being the key word, but found that the girl would not give up easily. "Please, you must rest. You need to be at full strength before you defeat that demon." "I never said I was going to defeat him, just delay him. I'm not letting my friend down!" A light flashed before her eyes, causing her to give a cry of pain. She shot up in another bed, a heart-rate monitor going wild as her heart raced. Sweat beaded her face as she lay back down and she heard a familiar voice whisper, "Jen?"

"Kopaka?" she asked, turning her head. Beside her was the Toa of Ice. "Easy, you're safe," he reassured her. Just then, Pohatu walked in and smiled with relief. "Hey, you're awake. How do you feel?" "Very, very, very sore, I guess," she confessed, and took a moment to observe her surroundings. "Am I in a hospital?" The Ice Toa nodded an affirmative. "You were badly hurt after that fight with Hephasto. Kit said this was the best place we could take you for healing." Jen's eyes widened at the mention of Hephasto and her friend and tried to get up. "Whoa, whoa, kiddo, step on the brakes," said Pohatu as he and Kopaka gently, but firmly ushered her back on the bed; they were apparently stronger than Jamella. "You're in no condition to be moving around," said Kopaka. "You guys don't understand, I have to go help Kit," Jen protested. "I saw Jamella, one of my ancestors. She said I was the one to defeat Hephasto." The two Toa looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They understood why Jen wanted to go help, but she was still weak; she couldn't face him in her condition. They looked back at the girl, her gazing at them pleadingly. Pohatu sighed, giving in, "Are all human females as stubborn as you and Kit? Or, is it just you two?" Jen grinned, thankful to the Toa of Stone. "I'll carry you and we'll use my Kanohi Kakama to get there," the Stone Toa offered. "Wherever 'there' is," commented Kopaka. The anticipating expressions left Pohatu and Jen's faces, realizing the Toa of Ice had a point. Considering they haven't heard any kind of commotion that would warrant a battle, wherever Kit and Hephasto were having their fight it wasn't anywhere near the hospital. Then, Jen got an idea, "Find my jeans. In the right side pocket there should be a little crystal on a string. And, get me a city map." The two Toa did exactly that: Pohatu located the crystal and Kopaka found a city map. Minutes later, the entire team was gathered around the girl's bed, watching her spin the crystal in a circle over the map. "What are you doing?" asked Tahu. "I'm scrying for Kit," Jen answered. Seeing the term was unfamiliar to the Toa, she explained. "I'm focusing my thoughts on her and channeling them to the crystal, which will make it point out her location on the map, assuming she's still in town." "What if she's not?" asked Pohatu. "Then I keep expanding my range," Jen replied with determination in her voice; it was evident that she was going to do whatever it took to find Kit. "What if they went to another dimension, or something?" wondered Onua. "What then?" Before Jen could, presumably, answer, the crystal suddenly stopped, pointing out a location on the map. "She's here, near the St. Ignatius Cemetery," Jen pointed out. "Then that's where we've got to go," said Tahu, and, after helping the girl onto Pohatu's back, the Toa of Stone activated his mask power and they zoomed out of the room before anybody knew what happened.

It wasn't long before they reached the cemetery and, after helping Jen to stand on her own, they made their way over to the battleground. Peeking over the edge of a hill, they were able to pick out Kit and Hephasto, but the other seven they didn't recognize. At least the Toa didn't. "It can't be," Jen whispered. The others looked at her quizzically. "You know them?" Onua asked. "Not personally, but I have read about them. Do you see the female with the long black hair?" They nodded. "That's Alice. She's the one who started the sorceress line in my family. The other six are her comrades. They are the ones who sealed away the Three Prime Evils." "Prime Evils?" Jen shrugged and sighed. "I'll explain later. Right now, I need to prepare a spell that will keep Hephasto away for some time while we get out of here and can regroup." "Wait," Tahu said. "You're going to need time to do it, so we'll need to distract Hephasto." Jen shook her head, an idea forming in it. "Maybe not all of you have to go. I will need help, but we can distract Hephasto by using Lewa's greatest strength." Lewa beamed proudly. "What, my speed? My ability over air?" Jen shook her head once again. "Your obnoxious personality." Now, he couldn't do anything but blink.

Kit, Andrew, and Alice yelped as they leapt to the side to avoid an onslaught of energy bolts. The girl regained her bearings quickly, however, and summoned her shield to protect herself from another assault. Although, the force behind the attack was so fierce, her feet skidded on the ground a few inches. She groaned as she fought to keep the bolts back, but her knees and elbows began to buckle; she couldn't hold them off much longer. "Hang on, kid," Alice called to her and she raised her staff up into the air. After saying something that sounded like an incantation, the sorceress slammed her staff to the ground and a prism colored dome formed around the trio, feeding Hephasto's bolts back at him and sending him back. Kit breathed a sigh of relief as she bent over, resting her hands on her knees. "Thanks, I needed that," she said. "Don't mention it," Alice smiled. "Unfortunately, this barrier won't last for long," said Andrew. "We're going to need to come up with something else." Hephasto, after dealing with the others, was already back on the oppressive, but his bolts just bounced off. He was about to try again when he was blown away again by a hurricane. "What the-?" wondered Andrew, and a tall green form landed in front of them. "Can I be of some aid-assistance?" Lewa grinned. "Lewa!" Kit exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?" "Buying Jen-friend some time," the Air Toa answered. Kit was about to ask him what he meant when Hephasto growled. "You'll pay for that, Toa of Air," he threatened. "Do you accept widgets or trades?" Lewa asked. Hephasto fired, Lewa launched into the air. "You should really hard-work on your aim," he teased. "I've sight-seen rookie-new seconds that have better skills than you." Hephasto roared angrily, shooting out bolts in succession. As Kit, Alice, and Andrew watched, some with fascination, some in confusion, Kit smiled at the Toa's antics. Alice noticed that the air spirit was trying to lure the demon away from them. 'But, why?' she wondered. "Over here," Lewa called to the monster before dodging an attack and called again. "Enough of this!" Hephasto shouted, getting tired of this ridiculous game Lewa was playing, and spread out his hands to increase his range. Lewa tried to get away, but didn't act fast enough and was struck down. It was then that Alice's force field powered down. Seeing this, Hephasto prepared for his final assault, energy crackling in his palm—then everything went black. Kit gasped as a huge puff of black smoke encircled Hephasto, who she could hear roaring in frustration. "Kit!" a voice called. Turning, she found Jen waving. After Necroli and Simon helped Lewa to his feet, the team regrouped.

"Jen!" Kit called, embracing her friend in a gentle hug, trying not to aggravate her wound. "What do you think you're doing here? I thought you were still out of it." "Kit's right," Alice spoke, causing the young sorceress to start. "Alice," she breathed, bowing before her ancestor as far as she could. "You really should be resting. And as for you seven," she added, glaring daggers at the Toa. "You should have stopped both of them from coming here." "Hey, believe me, we tried," Pohatu said in defense. "The problem with these two is that they can be as stubborn as Kikanalo when they want to be." "That sounds like someone I know," muttered Simon, causing the spirit to glance at him dangerously and sent him dashing to hide behind Necroli. "Either way, all of you did an excellent job of working together and fighting for your friends. Jennifer, you are learning the ways of a sorceress very quickly. I am proud to call you my descendant." "Uh, Alice?" Andrew said, uncertain in case she should turn on him again. She sighed exasperatedly, asking, "What now?" "Tyrael is sort of blowing a fuse up there in the fortress, so we should probably get back." Alice winced at the mention of Tyrael; she had completely forgotten about him. "Very well. Keep safe, all of you, and may Heaven's light shine upon you." With that, they just disappeared. Takanuva let out a whistle before saying, "That was close. For a minute I thought she was going to kill us. You've got some pretty intimidating ancestors, Jen. Jen?" He and the others turned to find her standing in front of portal. She turned to look at them. "You guys going to go through sometime today or what?" They all laughed and dashed through, Kopaka stopping long enough to whisper to her, "Meet me out back tomorrow night. There's something I need to show you." Jen's eyes followed after him, cheeks turning a bright red before following herself, leaving the graveyard behind.

The group disappeared through the portal not a moment too soon, for it was then that the black cloud Jen conjured had finally cleared up. The good news for Hephasto was he could see his surroundings again, the bad news, however, was that meant he found them completely empty. There was no sign of Kit, the other humans, or the Toa anywhere. Hephasto let loose a roar of anger and hatred that echoed for miles. In fact, one would claim it felt like it almost made the planet's atmosphere crack. "Protector, you may have managed to get away from me once more, but it's for the last time," he said to himself as he looked out over the city. "The time for games has long past. I will find you again . . . even if I have to destroy every single house and building in this city of yours and pick through the rubble brick by brick." Then, he shimmered himself away from the hillside.

* * *

The next morning, everyone was awakened by a load shout. Jen and Kit had rushed downstairs to find the Toa completely human. Jen quickly got to work reassuring them. "Guys, guys, it's ok." "Ok?" Tahu asked. "How is 'ok'?" The sorceress rolled her eyes. "It's just a spell I put on you guys. Don't worry; you're still able to access your weapons and your powers. This is just so you can blend in better. Take a look." She gestured toward a mirror and the Toa found themselves looking the way other humans saw them when they had rescued Kit from Darcius when she was an infant. "Still," Kopaka said, "This is going to take some getting used to." "Then I think it's time we start with lesson number one," Kit said. "What's that?" Lewa inquired. The girls looked at each other and smiled. "Shopping," they said together.

A little while later found the girls and the human Toa at the local mall. When Jen's house burned down, she lost a lot of stuff, including her school supplies, thus was the reason for the shopping trip. The girls also took this as another opportunity to show the Toa their world. As they walked through the crowd, Jen and Kit felt themselves relax a bit. With the Toa now human, it was easy to get around without having to worry about unwanted attention. Though the plan was to stay together, Pohatu, Onua, Gali, Takanuva, and Lewa wanted to browse around some of the stores. "Alright, but stay in the area," said Kit. "I, for one, don't want anybody getting lost, and we're not going to be in the store that very long. Let's meet back here for lunch in about forty-five minutes." The group then went their separate ways. Kit couldn't help but smile when she noticed where the Toa, save for Tahu and Kopaka, went: Pohatu to a sports store; Gali to a nature store; Lewa and Takanuva to a video game store; and Onua to a bookstore. 'Figures,' she thought to herself; those five went into stores that reflected something about their personality. Following Jen, the rest arrived to an aisle full of binder paper, binders, folders, and all kinds of school materials. As the girls examined the best materials and prices, the Toa of Fire and Ice took in all of the sights of the store. The human world never ceased to amaze them. At one point, Kopaka became aware of the feeling like there were eyes upon him. Looking over his shoulder, he found a trio of young woman who belatedly quickly diverted their gazes to each other, but not before he noticed the look of interest in their eyes. Recalling that it was the same look another woman gave when he and his team were in this realm before, Kopaka hazarded a guess that he just learned what it meant for someone to 'catch someone's eye', as Kit put it. Now feeling a little uncomfortable with this sort of attention, he started helping the girls pick out stuff; the sooner they got out of here, the better he'd like it. 'Maybe when we get back to Kit's house, I should ask Jen about changing my appearance,' he thought. Suddenly, a loud alarm went off, causing Kit and Jen to jump out of their skin. "What's that?" asked Tahu. "It's the fire alarm," Kit answered. "We need to find the others and get out of here." The four tried to stay within sight of each other as they fought their way through the crowd, but saying that that was easier said than done would be an understatement. With all of the panicked people trying to get out as well, it was probably no more less than miracle that they didn't get separated. Then, out of the blue, Kit heard a lady shout something about a red monster in the mall. Blood feeling like it instantly turned into ice, she turned to Jen and the Toa. They too heard it and were as shocked as she was. "We need to find the others now," Jen urged, and they fought their way against the flow of the crowd, back into the mall. Once they made it to the court area, they saw him—Hephasto.

"Not a day – not one day – can this guy leave us alone," Jen muttered under her breath and somewhat swearing in Latin. "I don't suppose that smoke spell of yours is going to do any good," Kit said, her gaze flicking from an enraged Hephasto to an annoyed Jen. "No, it won't. He's one of the very few smart demons. Those types can't be beaten the same way twice." She blew a stray strand of hair out of her face, her annoyance causing it to crackle with static. She rubbed the bridge of her nose for a while, and then moaned. "All of this stress just fried my brain," she murmured, placed a hand on her aching head. "What about Alice? Can she come to help?" Tahu asked, only to get smacked on the back of the head. "Of course not! It's a violation to the rules of Heaven; I'm still surprised that Tyrael didn't show up and give them a tongue lashing then and there." "Can't you at least summon another meteor?" "Summon? That's it! Tahu, you're a genius!" Jen exclaimed, causing the others to look at her. "Like I said earlier, smart demons can't be beaten the same way twice, but if I were to summon a creature that Alice used, it may just work, but…" "But what?" Kopaka asked, concern circling in his eyes. "But I've never used this spell before. It'll take a serious amount of control and it may overpower me. You guys need to get to safety, in case it gets out of control." They all started to protest at once, but she silenced them immediately. "Please, just get out of here. You guys are needed, I'm not." They knew that this was not the same girl that had been carefree earlier, but a deadly warrior. They turned to leave, but Jen stopped one of them in his tracks. "Kopaka, wait." He turned to see the girl approaching him with a look he couldn't identify. She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving his cheek a small peck, causing him to stiffen. "Thank you, Kopaka, for everything." She pulled away, tears shining in her eyes. She squeezed his hand for a moment before letting him go and prepared for the daunting task that faced her.

Hephasto scanned the crowd, searching for his target. His eyes spied upon Jen. "Where is she?" he demanded. "Where is Kit Walsh?" "What makes you think she's even here?" Jen retorted.

"I know you two are close friends; you're practically joined at the hip. Therefore, if you're here, then she is as well. Now, you can either tell me freely, or I will force you tell me what I want to know."

"The trick with that last trick is catching me."

And, Jen took off down toward one the exiting hallways of the mall. Hephasto followed, firing dark energy at her. Jen instinctively shielded her face as debris and energy attacks rained all around her. Thankfully, before she knew it, she was outside and didn't stop until she reached the middle of the parking lot. Turning around behind her, she saw Hephasto casually continuing his way to her. 'It's now or never,' she thought to herself. 'Please, have this work.' She closed her eyes, raised her arms in front of her, and started to focus her powers and chant as she prepared to create the gateway.

* * *

Yes, yes, this is a cliffhanger my friends. Mwuahahaha. Now be dears, and review.


	4. Not Exactly the Happiest Ending

Yes, my dear readers, this is indeed the final chapter. I would not expect any sequels to this if I were you, because I really need to get back a taste for my other story.

Disclaimer: It's at the beginning of the story if you want it.

* * *

Deep beneath the earth, where the only light was that of the lava, a creature stirred from it's slumber. Its mistress was calling it from where it was to the mortal world. The creature stretched its limbs that had not moved in so long, its jaws gaping wide in yawn that showed its glinting white teeth. The words of the sorceress echoed through its mind as a gateway opened to the surface. If it could grin, it would've. It was time for some fun.

* * *

Jen willed herself to focus on the incantation as she felt Hephasto's attacks impacting on the ground around her. She couldn't allow herself to lose her concentration, not now. She could feel it; she was close.

"I really hope she knows what she's doing," said Kit. She and the Toa were currently across the street from the mall parking lot. "You and me both," Kopaka slipped, earning an inquisitive glance from the teen. Just then, a glow around Jen caught their attention. It started out soft, but soon increased in intensity, revealing a large pentagram-like design, of which Jen was in the epicenter. Hephasto stopped his advance upon seeing the light from the gateway shoot up into the heavens. Everyone could clearly hear a deep guttural growl that instantly made the hairs on their necks and heads stand on end. It sounded so . . . otherworldly. Kit felt her breath catch in her throat when gigantic, leathery wings extended and flexed. Whatever Jen had managed to summon was coming.

'This is it,' Jen thought, willing more of her strength and focus into controlling the creature. It raised its head up and roared, the light from the gateway glinting off of its scarlet scales. Its jade green eyes locked on Hephasto, who couldn't help but swallow nervously. This creature was the legendary Mechira, a beast that had not been seen in over seven hundred years. She spoke in the ancient tongue of her family, commanding it to destroy the demon that had terrorized the lives of innocents. The creature bared its sharp teeth and leapt for Hephasto's throat.

Unable to think of anything else, Hephasto dodged off to the side at the last second. Out of desperation more than anything else, he then fired the most destructive stream of energy he could summon. However, the only thing it succeeded in accomplishing was enraging the beast, a big mistake. Following Jen's command, it launched a wall of fire from its mouth. Hephasto almost didn't get his forcefield up in time to protect himself from the flames, and even then it came close to collapsing entirely from the intensity and strength of the fire. Just when he was sure he couldn't take it anymore, the Mechira's breath expired. His difficult fight didn't go unnoticed by Kit and the Toa. "C'mon guys, let's give her a little hand," said the girl. The Toa looked at her as if she just suggested they go ride rock raptors. "Don't you see? That creature's more than he can handle. It took all of the focus he's got to maintain that shield. So therefore, if we all attack at once . . ." "Then he will have to use that again to defend himself, but his focus will be shaky," Tahu finished. "With his concentration scattered, he won't be able to make it powerful enough to repel the beast's fire." Within minutes, the crew ran to Jen's side. For the briefest of moments, the young sorceress noticed and asked, "What are you guys doing?" "Giving you a little hand," Kit replied with a sneer. Jen didn't understand what they were thinking they could possibly do, but couldn't deal with that right now. She had to return her full and utmost attention on Mechira. Kit and the Toa got in a circle, surrounding Hephasto. Tense minute after tense minute passed as both the Mechira, Kit, and the Toa's eyes were locked on Hephasto. Some hands flexed in anticipation, ready to react at a moment's notice. Finally, Mechira began to rear back its head a little, an indication that it was getting ready to attack with fire again. Kit and the Toa slightly shifted their positions, also getting prepared. When fire leaped out of the creature's mouth, everything seemed to happen so fast. Kit shouted, "Now!" She and the Toa launched their respective powers, and Hephasto brought back up his shield. Except, this time, it wasn't as strong due to him trying to fend off several attacks at once—and one of them was more powerful than the rest put together. Try as he might, Hephasto couldn't maintain the focus needed to fend off the flames while resisting the girl's and Toa's efforts as well. The blaze slowly began to eat away at the barrier. Then, with the Mechira giving the fire a little burst, the shield failed completely. The next thing everyone saw and heard was Hephasto's anguished roar of death as the flames consumed his essence as if it was paper; Kit could hardly bare to watch. When it was over, two charred ovals where his feet were were burned onto the pavement.

They stood there in silence for a while before Lewa whooped, causing them all to start cheering now that the danger had passed. Jen smiled weakly, but still retained her concentration on the Mechira. _"What am I to do now, mistress?"_ the creature asked telepathically. _"Go back through the portal. I'll call you when you are needed again."_ The beast looked slightly disappointed in her orders, but didn't argue and did just as she said. The portal closed and she sighed; it would be a miracle if she would be able to use her powers correctly again. She started to make for her friends when pained laced through her abdomen. She placed a hand to her stomach and drew it away; it was stained red. Suddenly, she went into such a violent coughing fit that she collapsed to the ground and caused the others to look at her. Next thing they knew, she began coughing up blood.

"What's wrong with her?" Kopaka asked with a hint of fear in his voice as he knelt beside Jen. "She must've not been as fully recovered from her knife wound as we thought, and the strain to maintain the focus needed to summon and control that beast made it worse," Kit guessed. Seeing that the red on her torso was increasing and she was starting to look really pale, the Ice Toa announced, "We have to get her back to the hospital." Nodding, Kit instructed the Toa on how to handle the bleeding as she dialed 911 on her cellphone. Unfortunately, for some reason, the reception was bad and she couldn't get a connection. While the Protector kept trying to call for help and the male Toa offered their shirts, Kopaka applied a firm pressure and peered at the young sorceress, not caring if any of the others noticed. 'Hang on, Jen,' he silently pled. 'Hang on, help will be here soon.' Just as he offered a prayer to the Great Spirit for the girl to be alright, his heart felt as if it truly did skip several beats. Jen's breathing, which was already very bad, was almost non-existent now. "Kit!" the Ice Toa cried. The other teen immediately placed two fingers to the side of her friend's neck. "She's starting to fade," she informed, with horror in her voice. "Her pulse is bad." 'No,' thought Kopaka, unable to believe what he was hearing; if only he had his scope. Jen couldn't be dying, she just couldn't be. If she did then . . . for once, he didn't know what he would do. "Gali, you've got to use your powers!" said Kit. The Water Toa looked at her as if she'd grown an extra head, "What?" "Hurry, use your powers to heal her," the desperate, frantic girl elaborated, her voice starting to choke up. "It just might be the only thing that can save her now." Tears started to stream down her face, her eyes reaching out to her friend to do it. Asking her brothers to give her some room, Gali knelt at Jen's head and willed herself to calm down and focus. She summoned a volo sphere between her hands and let it flow over the girl's form. Everyone held their breath as if they themselves were in the water, and Kopaka again prayed with all of his being, waiting and hoping that this would work. As the water dispersed, the group waited to see what would happen.

Jen didn't move at first, Kopaka giving her hand a gentle squeeze to let her know he was there. Seconds ticked by and they all began to worry; had they lost her? She let out a weak moan, cracking open her eyes. "Guys?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from the coughing. They all sighed, relieved that she was alive. Kopaka helped her to her feet, her knees almost giving way to the weight of her body. He caught her around the waist, slipping her arm over his shoulders. She looked up at Gali and smiled. "Looks like I owe you. Big time." The young sorceress held out a fist to her friend, who smiled and tapped it with her own. Jen stifled a yawn, causing Kit to smile. "You need to get some rest, Jen. I'm pretty sure you don't want to get Alice involved in this one." She nodded, eyes already drooping. Kopaka lifted her in his arms and carried her as she drifted off into the sweet abyss of sleep.

* * *

That night, at Kit's house, the gang gathered in the TV room, albeit it was little cramped. Jen rested on the couch, still exhausted, but already feeling better. Kopaka sat next to her. They all felt relief, like a great weight had been lifted off of their shoulders. With Hephasto gone, it was finally over; Kit was safe. Of course, the downside was that that meant the Toa had to return to their reality. This realization made their hearts feel heavy, but none were as heavy as Kopaka and Jen's. A blue light appeared in their midst, Tehreisha's portal for the Toa. The heroes reluctantly said farewell to their Protector and the sorceress and entered the portal, the human forms Jen cast on them melting away as they did. Only the Toa of Ice stalled behind. He knew he had to leave, he had a life, a duty, back in his world, but he didn't want to leave Jen either. The girl looked up at him with watery sapphire eyes. "Do you really have to?" she asked, her voice sounding like it was about to crack with emotion. "You already know the answer, else you wouldn't have asked," he replied. Jen carefully sat up, not even taking her eyes off of his, fighting back tears. "I don't want you to go." Kopaka knelt down, gently grasping his hands around her upper arms, and looked deep into her eyes. Then, just like that, the girl embraced him in a tight hug, sneaking in a peck on his cheek as she did. The Toa, not sure of how else to respond—and grateful that the others weren't there to watch—wrapped his own arms around her. "I'll never forget you," Jen whispered in his ear. "Nor will I," he replied. After what felt like an eternity, they forced themselves to separate. They slowly let go of each other's hands, as if hoping to prolong the inevitable. Once the Ice Toa vanished into the portal, so did it. Jen let out a sad, longing sigh; her first love and he was from another dimension. Kit placed a hand to her shoulder and smiled knowingly and warmly. Jen offered a small smile back. The doorbell rang, and Kit left to answer while Jen gathered her things. Jen's mom came in and embraced her daughter as if she were afraid she would vanish in front of her eyes. After assuring her mom that she was fine, Jen said good-bye to Kit. "Where will you be staying?" asked the Protector, remembering what happened to Jen's house. "We'll be at my husband's brother's house until things get taken care of," Jen's mom answered. "Thank you so much again, Kit, for letting Jen stay at your place." "No biggie," the girl answered. She watched mother and daughter drive down the street before letting out a yawn. "What a wild weekend."

A few weeks later, Kit and Jen were at the library studying for a math test. At least Kit was; Jen had seemed to be in a daze ever since the Toa left. She was suffering from an aching heart. Kit noticed it more than others, the way her sapphire eyes glazed over when she saw the other teenage couples around the school. Now, she couldn't seem to focus on the notes or the problems, but just stared off into space until Kit snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Jen, are you okay?" she asked, eyes giving her a worried glance. Jen sighed, tucking her pencil behind her ears, and rested her head in her hands. "I just miss them – especially Kopaka." She closed her eyes, feeling tears sting them as she thought about the one she loved. "I bet he's missing you just as much. You know, you really changed him for the better; you got him to open up a little more than usual." Jen shrugged, fingering a crystal rose necklace that said Toa slipped into her hand when they parted. "He's the only one that ever truly made me feel like I really did have a place in this world – and in someone's heart." Wanting to change the subject, and hoping that it would get her friend to smile, Kit wondered about the reconstruction of her house. Jen shook her head. "We just don't seem to have the money to do that and my parents don't want to take it out of my college fund, so…we're moving." Kit's jaw dropped. "What? Where and when?" "To California. Apparently we've got some family back there, so it won't be too bad. We're hoping to get out of here by the weekend, but they're trying to give me as much time as possible to be with you so that I can have the memories. I really don't want to leave. Oh, that reminds me." She pulled out a leather-bound book with yellowing pages, as well as a folded piece of paper with the name of a certain team of Toa written on it from her backpack. Both of which she handed to her best friend.

"Can I trust you to keep this safe, Kit?" she asked, pushing the book toward her. "It's one of my family's heirlooms, so please don't lose it. We want a chance to find a safe place to keep it first."

"What is it?"

"It's more of a diary than a book. Alice started it and enchanted it so that every sorceress will have a story worth being told, even if they don't write in it. It holds every spell known as well as every beast, demon, and person that she ever encountered."

"What about the paper?" Kit asked, already flipping through the book. Jen smiled a little.

"Could you give this to them if you ever see them again for me? It's a drawing that I made of all of them. I think they'll like it." When opened, it was like the inside of a book with the pages all neatly on the side, but it held the faces of the human Toa. She had seemed to capture all of their expressions, from Tahu's stern face to Takanuva's curious eyes. There was a strict look on Kopaka's features, but there was laughter and a bit of sadness in his stare. Kit smiled at her friend's artwork.

"You're right, Jen. They'll like it. Anything else I should have?"

"Yeah. Could you tell Kopaka, if it ever crosses your mind, that I love him?"

"Sure thing."

* * *

At last, a story that I have actually finished. And yes, for the drawing, I did steal the idea from an episode of NCIS. Hope you all enjoyed the story and feel free to review.


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